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= Russian State = "Russian State" redirects here. For the Russian Federation, see Russia. For other uses, see Russia (disambiguation).

The Russian State (In Pre-Reform Russian:Россійское Государство), also known as White Russia, was established through the Act of the Ufa State Conference on September 23, 1918. It emerged during the tumultuous period of the Russian Civil War, succeeding the Russian Federative Soviet Socialist Republic. This new entity encompassed most of Siberia and laid claim to the entirety of the former Russian Empire, excluding Congress Poland. With an expansive territory spanning approximately 22,671,500 square kilometers (8,753,500 square miles), it holds the distinction of being the largest government-in-exile claim ever recorded.

The declaration of the State occurred on September 23, 1918, following the consolidation of various factions within the White Guard during the Ufa State conference. Nikolai Avksentiev, its initiator and interim chairman, held the leadership briefly before ceding supreme authority to Alexander Kolchak, the head of the Russian Army. Kolchak swiftly assumed an authoritarian stance and utilized his military might to exert control over the administration, which subsequently became identified as the "Kolchak government."

Despite their lesser resources and military strength, the Bolshevik Red Army managed to overcome the Russian Army owing to superior military strategies and the internal instability of the Russian leadership. By 1920, the Russian State initiated the ambitious Great Siberian Ice March from Omsk to Chita. In December 1922, the Bolshevik Party proclaimed the formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The vestiges of the Russian State's administration persisted in Siberia until April 1923.

Remarkably, despite the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian State's government was reinstated as a government in exile in the year 2023.

Overview
A state was formally established on September 23, 1918, during the Russian Civil War, which had been ignited by the October Revolution of November 1917, successfully toppling the Russian Republic. This state was initially based on mainland Russia. The central authority of this newly formed state experienced fluctuations in response to the ongoing civil war and conflicting ideologies, with its strongest central authority seen during the Kolchak Government's tenure.

Following the conclusion of the Russian Civil War, the foundation of the Soviet Union in 1922 marked the disestablishment of the Russian State government. The Bolsheviks gained control over the entirety of Russia and established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

However, due to a series of political, economic, and military missteps, the state was reestablished in 2023, adopting an authoritarian no-party system.

Russian Revolution and Bolshevik Uprising
The Russian Revolution of 1917 emerged from a complex web of factors that had been brewing for years. The autocratic rule of the Romanov dynasty had led to growing discontent among various segments of society, including the urban working class, peasants, and even the intelligentsia. Industrialization had brought about urbanization and the rise of the working class, which faced dismal working conditions, low wages, and limited political representation.

Russia's involvement in World War I exacerbated these problems. The strains of the war effort resulted in severe shortages of essential goods, leading to soaring food prices and widespread hunger. The crumbling war front and the heavy toll of casualties further eroded public support for the war and the government.

In February 1917 (March in the Gregorian calendar), spontaneous demonstrations in Petrograd erupted into a full-blown uprising. The discontented population demanded an end to the war, bread, and an end to autocracy. Tsar Nicholas II, recognizing the severity of the situation, abdicated the throne, leading to the establishment of the Provisional Government, composed primarily of liberal politicians.

However, the Provisional Government's attempts at reform fell short of the public's expectations. The continuation of the war and a failure to address issues such as land reform and workers' rights led to growing disillusionment. At the same time, extremist socialist factions, particularly the Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin, were gaining traction with their revolutionary message.

In October 1917 (November in the Gregorian calendar), Lenin and the Bolsheviks seized their opportunity. Taking advantage of the Provisional Government's weakening position and exploiting the desire for "peace, land, and bread," they orchestrated the October Revolution. The Bolsheviks, now in control, aimed to establish a socialist state based on the principles of Marxism.

Founding
The foundation of the Russian State traces back to the Ufa State Conference held on September 23, 1918. This event is now commemorated annually as the national day of the Russian State. Following his return, Alexander Kolchak assumed a significant role. On November 18th, he was elected as the Supreme Ruler by the Council of Ministers. He expressed his commitment to establishing a capable military, eradicating Bolshevism, and restoring law and order. This was intended to pave the way for people to freely choose their desired form of governance and realize the principles of freedom that were being championed worldwide.

Kolchak's governance encountered challenges due to its limited military power. As a compromise, he engaged in negotiations with the Entente, assuring them that he wouldn't seek to reinstate the Russian Monarchy. Kolchak's aspiration was to unite Russia by launching an expedition against the Red Army across the Ural Mountains.

In 1918, Kolchak initiated the Spring Offensive with the aim of defeating the Bolsheviks and uniting the nation. Support from the United Kingdom and the United States bolstered his efforts. However, despite initial success, Kolchak's Ural Offensive was met with defeat during a Red Army counteroffensive. This setback forced his forces to establish a defensive line along the Tobol and Ishim rivers, temporarily slowing the advance of the Red Army. The Red forces managed to breach the Tobol River defenses in mid-October, and by November, the White forces were retreating towards Omsk in a disorganized manner. On November 14, 1919, Omsk fell to the Red forces.

As December arrived, Kolchak's fortunes took a turn for the worse. He was betrayed and apprehended by Maurice Janin, the head of the Allied military mission in Siberia, and the Czechoslovak Legion. They handed him over to local Socialist-Revolutionaries in January 1920. The Bolsheviks subsequently executed him in Irkutsk the following month.

Denikin and Wrangel's Governments
On January 4, 1920, as the Bolsheviks closed in for an inevitable victory and his capture in Siberia loomed, Admiral Alexander Kolchak designated Denikin as his successor in the role of Supreme Ruler. However, Denikin neither accepted the responsibilities nor the title of Supreme Leader. Simultaneously, the Bolsheviks swiftly disregarded their agreement with Makhno and launched an assault on his anarchist forces. Following a series of fluctuating battles that saw both sides making gains, Trotsky's better-equipped and larger Red Army decisively overcame and scattered Makhno's Black Army.

Nonetheless, Denikin found himself compelled to step down on March 20, 1920. A military committee, under the leadership of General Abram Dragomirov in Sevastopol, sought Wrangel's return as the Commander-in-Chief of the White forces in Crimea. Assuming this position on April 4, 1920, Wrangel led the Russian Army and introduced a coalition government that aimed to implement far-reaching reforms, including land reforms. He established connections with emerging anti-Bolshevik independent states such as the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Democratic Republic of Georgia, among others. Unfortunately, these states eventually fell to the advances of the Bolshevik Red Army.

As the White forces faced overwhelming odds and approached defeat in Northern Tavria and Crimea, Wrangel orchestrated a massive evacuation along the Black Sea shores. Wrangel extended a choice to every officer, soldier, and civilian: to accompany him into the uncertain future through the evacuation or to remain within Russia. Those who opted to stay in Crimea endured harsh suppression by the Bolsheviks as part of the Red Terror, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians, possibly numbering up to 200,000 individuals.

In 1920, Wrangel successfully evacuated the White forces from Crimea, and the remnants of the Russian Imperial Navy became known as Wrangel's fleet. The last of the military and civilian personnel departed Russia aboard the General Kornilov, accompanying Wrangel on November 14, 1920.

Defeat in the Russian Civil War
In April of 1921, the White Army established communication with the Provisional Priamurye Government in Vladivostok, seeking assistance. On the 27th of April, the Bolshevik government proclaimed the Yakut ASSR and dispatched an expedition to suppress the uprising. As the summer of 1922 arrived, the White forces were expelled from Yakutsk and retreated toward the Pacific coastline. They took control of the port towns Okhotsk and Ayan and once again appealed to Vladivostok for reinforcements.

On August 30th, the Pacific Ocean Fleet, comprising around 750 volunteers led by Lieutenant General Anatoly Pepelyayev, set sail from Vladivostok to provide support to the Russian troops. After three days, this contingent disembarked in Ayan and advanced towards Yakutsk. By the end of October, as Pepelyayev captured Nelkan, he received news that the Bolsheviks had seized Vladivostok from the White Army, marking the conclusion of the Civil War.

Upon the establishment of the Soviet Union on December 30, 1922, the sole Russian territory still under the control of the White Movement was the area known in Soviet historiography as the Pepelyayevshchina. This encompassed Ayan, Okhotsk, and Nelkan. In February 1923, a unit of Bolshevik forces led by Ivan Strod was dispatched to confront Pepelyayev. On February 12, they emerged victorious against Pepelyayev's forces near Sasyl-Sasyg. Subsequently, in March, the White Army retreated from Amga.

On April 24, 1923, the ships Stavropol and Indigirka set sail from Vladivostok to Ayan, carrying a detachment of the Red Army commanded by Stepan Vostretsov. After arriving in Ayan on April 6, Vostretsov learned that Pepelyayev had withdrawn to Nelkan. The remaining White Army units faced defeat near Okhotsk on June 6 and near Ayan on June 16. Around 103 White officers and 230 soldiers were taken as prisoners and transported to Vladivostok. Following the battle of Ayan, Pepelyayev himself was apprehended. He would spend the ensuing 13 years in the gulag camps before meeting his execution during the Stalinist purges in 1938.

Government in Exile
Following the Bolshevik takeover in 1923, the fall of Russia prompted the emergence of White successor organizations. Wrangel, who had commanded the Russian Army in Crimea a few years before Russia's collapse, legally assumed the role of Supreme Ruler and founded the Russian All-military Union. The White Emigres faced an arduous struggle for survival over the ensuing decades, resulting in a significant decline in their population by the mid-20th century.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 provided an opportunity for numerous Soviet politicians and loyalists to establish their own governance structures in Russia. This weakened the position of the White Emigres. Over time, one of these Soviet politicians, Vladimir Putin, ascended to the presidency of the Russian Federation. It's worth noting that this collapse of the Soviet Union also granted the White Émigré a temporary respite from the repressive Soviet regime.

Subsequently, the Russian Federation, succeeding the Soviet Union, effectively claimed the concept of Russian identity from the White Émigré. This marked the resurgence of the Russian State as a government in exile. Nevertheless, significant efforts were necessary to secure the government's survival in this new capacity.

Foreign Relations
Following its dissolution in 1922 and subsequent restoration in 2023, the Russian State lacks formal diplomatic relations with any foreign nation. However, prior to its defeat in the Russian Civil War, the Russian State successfully established diplomatic ties with various countries. Notable among these were Japan, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia), the Republic of China (Taiwan), Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Estonia, Latvia, and Finland.

The Russian State places a stipulation upon its diplomatic partners, requiring them to acknowledge it as the sole legitimate government of "Russia," a position that engenders competition for the exclusive use of the name "Russia" alongside the Russian Federation.

Notwithstanding the absence of formal diplomatic relations, the Russian State adheres to the treaties initially forged by the Russian Empire, a practice mandated by the Ufa State Conference Act.

Constitution
At its core, the 2023 Fundamental Law stands as an extensive expansion and comprehensive refinement of the initial Act that emerged from the Ufa State Conference. This foundational Act had already delineated a considerable portion of the crucial aspects, serving as a firm foundation. However, the 2023 Fundamental Law goes beyond these origins by incorporating and adapting various provisions gleaned from the historical Fundamental Laws of the Russian Empire.

Administrative Divisions
The Russian State's administrative divisions encompass 71 governorates (guberniyas), 20 oblasts, and 1 okrug. Among these, 11 governorates, 17 oblasts, and 1 okrug (North Sakhalin) are situated within Asian Russia, while 8 governorates are located in Finland. The landscape of European Russia comprises 49 governorates and 1 oblast, specifically that of the Don.

In this arrangement, the Don Oblast operates under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of War. For the remaining divisions, each is overseen by a governor and a deputy-governor, with the deputy-governor presiding over the administrative council. Furthermore, the framework includes the presence of governors-general, typically appointed to oversee multiple governorates. These individuals wield more expansive authorities, often encompassing command of the troops within their designated jurisdictional bounds.